Spinning toy



2 Sheets-Sheet l w.- L. GANDY SPINNING TOY Filed Feb. 12, 1945 Illuentur a 2 iii, lam Wavy E m m l m. .m w W May 15, 1945.

May 15, 1945. v SA DY 2,375,986

SPINNING TOY Filed Feb. 12, 1945. 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor WzZ/z'am Zwzer j WWW 5M Patented May 15, 1945 SPINNING TOY William Luther Gandy, Remerton, Ga., assignor of Ga one-half to- William A.-Greene, Remerton,

Application February 12, 1945, Serial No. 577,534

3 Claims.

This invention relates to spinning toys and more particularly to that class of toys known as tops.

of amusement which is simple in operation and capable of satisfactory manipulation by children. The invention embodies among its features a holder having a handle through which a plunger operates in such a manner that when the plunger is wholly retracted the top will bereleased and allowed to drop off the holder spinning.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of a holder showing in dotted lines the top in position thereon ready for release spinning.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the device shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 showing the plunger in top retaining position, and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary top plan view of the top showing its driving gear in section.

Referring to the drawings in detail the device comprises a holder designated generally l and a top designated generally I I.

' The holder l0 comprises a handle l2 having attached to one end by means of a ferrule l3 a substantially disk-shaped shield I4. Extending 1ongitudinally from thehandle and riveted or otherwisev attached to the shield I4 is a reinforcing and supporting strip 15 carrying at a point at the center of the shield a centering pin I6 upon which the top H is adapted to be rotatab-ly supported as will be more fully hereinafter described The shield M as shown in Figures 2, 4 and is provided with reinforcing flanges l! which also serve to prevent the hand of the user from interfering with the rotation of the top about the centering pin I6 While it is on the aforesaid pin.

The handle I2 is provided with a longitudinal bore I8 in which a plunger 9 i slidably mounted and secured to the plunger l9 at the end of the handle |2 opposite the shield M in an operating knob 20 the use of which will more fully hereinafter appear. Formed on the end of the plunger at the end opposite the knob 20 is an ofiset, extension 2| carrying along one edge a plurality of rack teeth 22 for engagement with a pinion car- The object of the invention is to supply a form ried by the top H as will be more fully hereinafter described.

The top H comprises a substantially conical body 23 carrying at its smaller end a spinning point 24 and at its larger end in axial alignment with the point 24 a driving device designated generally 25. This driving device comprises a substantially tubular body 26 carrying intermediate its ends an annular outstanding attaching flange 21 which is pierced at spaced intervals for the reception of attaching members such as nails or tacks 28 by means of which the driving device is attached to the top body 23 and parts held against relative rotation. As shown one end of the tubular body 26 i 'received in a recess 29 formed in the body 23 while the opposite of the tubular body projects beyond the top body and carries at its outer end a retaining flange 3'0. Formed on, the tubular body between the flanges 21 and 30 is an annular series of teeth 3| arranged to mesh with the rack teeth 22 when the top I is in place on the holder l0.

In use the knob is moved into the position shown in Figures 2 and 4 so as to completely retract the plunger l9 and movethe offset extension 2| into a position to freely allow passage of the flange as the top is mounted in place on the centering pin IS. The top being placed on the holder with the centering pin I6 entering the tubular body 26, the knob 20 is moved to the position shown in Figure 5 thus causing the rack teeth 22 to engage the teeth 3|. The top H thus is held in position on the holder ID by the engagement of the flange 30 with the ofiset extension 2| until such time as the knob 20 is again returned to the position shown in Figures 2 and 4. By quickly retracting the knob the top I I will be set in rapid rotation and when the end of the offset extension 2| moves clear of the flange 30 the top will be discharged from the holder spinmng.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferred embodiment of this invention it is to be understood that minor changes in the details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

mounted in the handle and lying adjacent the reinforcing and supporting strip, a centering pin carried by the supporting strip to one side of the rack, a spinning top body having a spinning point at one end, a driving device at the opposite end of the top in axial alignment with the point, and

means on the driving device cooperating with the rack for rotating the top and holding it on the centering pin during longitudinal movement of the rack,

2. In a spinning toy in combination, a holder comprising a handle, a reinforcing and supporting strip extending longitudinally from one end of the handle, a longitudinally movable rack mounted in the handle and lying adjacent the reinforcing and supporting strip, a centering pin carried by the supporting strip to one side of the rack, a spinning top body having a spinning point at one end, a driving device at the opposite end of the top in axial alignment with the point, gear teeth on the driving device for meshing engagement with the rack during its longitudinal movement and a retaining flange on the driving device for engagement with the rack to hold the top in place on the holder during movement of the rack in either direction.

3. In combination a spinning toy comprising a holder, a longitudinally movable rack carried by the holder and a centering pin carried by the holder to one side of the rack, a spinning top, a tubular body at one end of the top adapted to receive the centering pin, an attaching flange on the tubular body for attachment to the top, a

- retaining flange on the tubular body for engagement with the rack to hold the top on the holder and gear teeth between the attaching flange and the retaining flange for meshing engagement with the rack.

WILLIAM LUTHER GANDY. 

